HandBrake is a free and open-source transcoder for digital video files. It was originally developed in 2003 by Eric Petit to make ripping DVDs to a data storage device easier. HandBrake's backend contains comparatively little original code; the program is an integration of many third-party audio and video libraries, both codecs (such as FFmpeg, x264, and x265) and other components such as video deinterlacers (referred to as "filters"). These are collected in such a manner to make their use more effective and accessible (e.g., so that a user does not have to transcode a video's audio and visual components in separate steps, or with inaccessible command-line utilities).
HandBrake clients are available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
HandBrake was originally developed by Eric Petit in 2003 as software for BeOS, before being ported to other systems. He continued to be the primary developer until April 2006, when the last official Subversion revision was committed. Petit continued to be active on the HandBrake forum for a brief period after. From May–June 2006, no one in the HandBrake community was successful in contacting Petit, and no further code changes were officially made.
What is HandBrake?
HandBrake by The HandBrake Team is open-source Windows software in the media converters category. It ranks 3rd by popularity among media converters in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2003. It is written in C, C#, and Objective-C. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux and macOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.11.2, released on June 7, 2026. The version history goes back to May 2, 2021: 25 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4.9 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 493,020 times. The source code on GitHub (HandBrake/HandBrake) has 24,749 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 19 of our languages. Similar programs include Pandoc, scrcpy and VidCoder.
Project description on GitHub: “HandBrake's development repository ”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Linux and macOS
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2003)
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: HandBrake is an open-source media converter tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Convert video from nearly any format
- Free and Open Source
- Multi-Platform (Windows, Mac and Linux)
AppStream · Flathub
Screenshots
Is HandBrake safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
6BECB8E5A041941D5F2FD6FE83C66FC15B2B16190E2E79F5AD47EB4CD18DF8CD· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 25 versions ›25 versions over 5 years · about 4.9 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.11.2Latest | June 7, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.11.1 | March 22, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.11.0 | March 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.10.2 | September 6, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.10.1 | August 23, 2025 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.10.0 | August 9, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.9.2 | February 23, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.9.1 | February 12, 2025 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id HandBrake.HandBrake -echoco install handbrake.install -yscoop install extras/handbrakeHandBrake-1.11.2-x86_64-Win_GUI.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask handbrake-appbrew install handbrakeflatpak install flathub fr.handbrake.ghbInformation
- Publisher
- The HandBrake Team
- Category
- Media converters
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/HandBrake/HandBrake
- Written in
- C, C#, and Objective-C
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS
- Version
- 1.11.2
- Released
- June 7, 2026
- First release
- 2003
- Added to the catalogue
- April 22, 2021
- Versions listed
- 25
- Updates / year
- 4.9
- Chocolatey downloads
- 493,020
- GitHub stars
- 24,749
- GitHub forks
- 1,722
- Website
- handbrake.fr
- winget ID
- HandBrake.HandBrake
- Chocolatey package
- handbrake.install
- Scoop package
- extras/handbrake
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to HandBrake
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Frequently asked questions
Is HandBrake free?
Yes. HandBrake is open-source software under the GPL-2.0 licence.
Is HandBrake safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install HandBrake with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can HandBrake be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does HandBrake run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of HandBrake?
The versions page lists all 25 versions with links to their official installer files, back to May 2, 2021.
What are alternatives to HandBrake?
Pandoc, scrcpy, VidCoder, File Converter and IrfanView. The alternatives page compares them.
